Device for melting ice at a fish hole in the ice

ABSTRACT

The device for melting ice at a fish hole in the ice includes an enclosure having first and second sidewalls hingedly connected to first and second end walls together with a cover formed in two portions, each cover portion hingedly connected to a sidewall. A partial bottom is hingedly connected to an end wall. One of the cover portions is formed with an opening through which a fish line extends into the enclosure with the cover portions closed and carries a window for visual inspection of an ice hole over which the device is placed. One of said cover portions has a baffle connected thereto which extends into the enclosure with a heat shield mounted on the underside of the cover and over the partial bottom, creating a heated chamber, with an opening in one outside wall through which heat is provided by an external propane heat source.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for preventing the formation of ice ata hole in the ice covering a lake.

Numerous patents have been developed to aid individuals interested inice fishing with keeping their ice fishing hole from freezing over. Manyinventors have tried to improve on this inventor's prior patent U.S.Pat. No. 4,131,107 issued Dec. 26, 1978 to Godbout. Most include sometype of containment design around the ice hole, similar to Godbout. Onemakes use of a semi-collapsible design similar to Godbout. Many includea tip-up device for alerting when a fish is on the line as animprovement.

This inventor's prior design (Godbout) called for use of a combustibleinternal heat source such as “Sterno” T. M. canned heat. Many follow-onpatents use candles as an internal heat source (see U.S. Pat. No.5,598,656 issued to Strasser; U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,668 issued to Keller;U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,333 issued to Klinkhamer), although some rely onother combustible materials as an internal heat source such as charcoalbriquettes (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,099 issued to Stewart; U.S. Pat. No.4,253,262 issued to Johnson), and several make use of solar energydesigns (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,986 issued to Harper; U.S. Pat. No.4,953,317 issued to Ruchel).

These prior art designs make use of heat sources which are not easilycontrollable and therefore cannot provide consistent performance withvarying temperature conditions. Ice fishing can involve temperaturesranging from thirty degrees Fahrenheit above zero to thirty degreesFahrenheit below zero or colder, making a heat source that is adequatewhen temperatures are higher entirely lacking when temperatures dropsignificantly lower. If there is any wind, lighting a candle or charcoaleven in a semi-protected enclosure can be difficult if not impossible,and significant windchill can rob heat even more quickly causing iceholes to freeze over quickly even when protected with prior art devices.

What is needed then, is a device for melting ice at a fish hole which issimple and easy to use, which allows for quick and efficient setup,which is portable for ease of carrying to and from a fish hole, which isinexpensive enough that anyone interested in ice fishing can afford toown and use it, and in particular, which makes use of an external heatsource such as a propane torch, that is portable, easy to start, canproduce high or low heat, is easily adjustable and can provide simple,consistent and controllable heat.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The device for melting ice at a fish hole in the ice includes anenclosure having sidewalls and end walls with a first partial coverwhich covers an open bottom portion positioned at a hole in the ice andis formed with a recess portion through which a fish line is extendedfor operation in the hole in the ice. A partial bottom portion adjacentto the hole in the ice with an opening in an adjacent exterior wall forproviding heat from an external propane heat source and creating aheating chamber adjacent to the ice hole. A second partial cover inalignment with the first partial cover with a heat shield mounted on theunderside of the cover and overlying the partial bottom, the secondpartial cover carries a baffle which directs heat downwardly from thepartial top where it spreads laterally to the open bottom portion toprevent ice from forming at the ice hole. The sidewalls and end wallsare hingedly connected together and the partial bottom is hinged to anend wall together with the partial covers hinged to the sidewallswhereby the entire device may be folded into a relatively flat state forcarrying and storing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention may be understood from the description of theembodiment which follows and from the accompanying drawings. Thedrawings are hereby expressly made a part of the specification.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device for melting ice at a fish holein closed operative condition and embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but with both covers inopen position.

FIG. 3 is a view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal side view of the device in folded condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like referencenumerals are used throughout the various drawings to depict like orsimilar elements of the claimed device for melting ice at a fish hole.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device for melting ice at afish hole A is in the form of a box-like enclosure and it includes thefirst sidewall 10 hingedly connected at one end to the second end wall12 by means of the hinge 14. The sidewall 10 is hingedly connected atthe other end by the hinge 16. Further provided is the first end wall 18connected at one end to the hinge 16 and at the other end to the hinge20 with the hinge 20 connected to one end of the second sidewall 22. Theother end of the second sidewall 22 is connected to the hinge 24 whichis connected to the other end of the second end wall 12.

The numeral 26 designates a first partial cover including the flatportion 28 formed with the opening 30 over which is secured theinspection glass 32 by means of the frame 34 secured by the metal screws36. The partial cover 26 is hingedly connected at one edge to the upperedge of the first sidewall 10 by means of the hinge 38. The cover 26also includes the first depending flange 40 which aligns alongside thefirst end wall 18 when the cover is closed upon the sidewalls 10 and 22.Formed on an edge of the partial cover 26 is the second depending flange42 adapted to align alongside the second sidewall 22 when the cover isclosed upon the sidewalls, FIG. 1 in particular. The partial cover 26allows easy access to the hole H in the ice. The flat portion 28 of thecover 26 is formed with the access opening 44.

Further provided is the second partial cover 46 which includes the flatportion 48 hingedly connected at one edge to the sidewall 22 by means ofthe hinge 50. The cover 46 allows easy access to the heating chamber.Formed on the cover portion 48 is the flange 52 which aligns alongsidethe end wall 12 when the cover 46 is closed and the flange 54 whichaligns alongside the sidewall 10, when the cover 46 is closed. The inneredge of cover 46 is formed with the flange 56 which extends partiallyinto the device when the cover is closed and acts as a heat baffle aswill be seen. The flange 56 is formed with the series of holes 58 toallow heat transfer as will be seen.

The numeral 60 designates a heat shield formed of the flat plate portion62 on one edge of which is formed the flange 64 secured to the flange 56by means of the rivets 66. The outer face edge of the shield 60 isformed with the flange 68 the edge of which is adjacent the underside ofthe cover 48. The shield is so positioned on the flange 56 that it isspaced from the underside of the plate portion 48. The extent of thepartial cover 46 and partial cover 26 is such that the cover 26 overlapsa portion of cover 46 as at “X,” FIG. 4 in particular, to thereby sealoff the entire enclosure.

The end wall 18 is formed with the inspection opening 70 covered by theglass 72 and held in place by the frame 74 secured to the wall 18 bymeans of the screws 76. The numeral 92 designates a reinforcing plateattached to the sidewall 22 by screws 94 and though which an opening 90provides access to the heating chamber for an external heat source He aswill be seen. The access opening 90 can be on either sidewall or the endwall adjacent to the heating chamber. The numeral 78 designates apartial bottom which extends from sidewall 10 to sidewall 22 and ishingedly connected to end wall 12 by means of hinge 80. Secured to theopposed side edges of the bottom 78 are the upstanding flanges 81 and 82which align alongside the sidewalls 10 and 22, respectively, when thehinged bottom is in operative contact with the lower edges of thesidewalls 10 and 22.

It will be seen that from the inner edge of the partial bottom 78 to theend wall 18 the enclosure is open.

In use, the device A is positioned with the open portion of the bottomover the hole H in the ice 1. The cover portions 26 and 46 are bothopened as in FIG. 2. An external heat source such as a propane torch Heis placed next to the device A with the torch nozzle extending throughthe wall opening 90 and resting on the reinforcing plate 92 attached tothe sidewall 22 and ignited and the cover 46 closed upon the sidewalls.Bait on a fish line L is then placed in the hole H. The cover 26 is thenclosed with the line L extended outwardly through the access opening 44.Heat created from the source He is shielded from the top cover 46 bymeans of the shield 60 when the cover is placed in closed position.Further, heat emanating from the source He is directed downwardly fromthe top 48 by means of the baffle 56 and the heat then spreads laterallyinto the area of the device surrounding the ice hole H where it keepsthe water in the hole H from freezing and the possibility of fish on theline L can be easily viewed through either the glass 32 or the glass 72.

When a fish is indicated on the line L the cover 26 is opened and theline and fish removed from the device. When the device is not in use thesame may be collapsed down into a somewhat flat compact posture asillustrated in FIG. 6 for easy carrying and storage. The device may beconstructed of metal, a non-brittle heat resistant plastic, or any othersuitable material.

The method and embodiment of the present invention shown and discussedare by way of illustration and not of limitation, and a wide variety ofequivalent methods and embodiments may be made without departing fromthe spirit or scope of the invention.

1. A device for melting ice at a fish hole comprising: an enclosurehaving first and second sidewalls connected to first and second endwalls; a cover for the enclosure including a first partial covercovering a first space and a second partial cover covering a secondspace, said partial covers each having a front edge, a rear edge, aninside edge and an outside edge; said first partial cover being hingedlyconnected by said rear edge to a portion of said first sidewall and saidsecond partial cover being connected by said rear edge to a portion ofsaid second sidewall, with said inside edge of said second partial coverabutting said inside edge of said first partial cover; said secondpartial cover having a baffle plate connected thereto at a right anglealong said inside edge thereof and extended into the enclosure when thecover is closed upon the enclosure, thereby partially dividing saidsecond space from said first space; said second partial cover having aheat shield carried by said cover and spaced therefrom; means hingedlyconnecting said end walls at each edge to each end of said side walls;said first partial cover having an opening adjacent to and extendingthrough the edge thereof and adapted to receive a fish line forextension therethrough into said first space and to a hole in ice onwhich the device is positioned; a partial bottom hingedly connected atone edge to said second end wall and beneath and substantially inalignment with said second partial cover and said heat shield attachedthereto and bounding said second space from below; an opening into saidsecond space through said second end wall or through a portion of saidfirst or second sidewall adjacent to said partial bottom, through whichheat will be provided from an external heat source; said second spacebeing bounded from above by said second partial cover, from the sides bysaid second end wall, a portion of said first and second sidewalls andsaid baffle, and from below by said partial bottom, and creating aheated chamber for the retention of heat from an external heat sourceand for the transmission of such heat from said second space throughsaid baffle to said first space thereby preventing said hole in the icein said first space from freezing over; and, said first partial coverhaving an opening formed therein for viewing said ice hole in said firstspace and in line therewith and adjacent said partial bottom and saidsecond space.
 2. The device of claim 1 in which the external heat sourceis a propane torch.
 3. The device of claim 1 in which said baffle has amultiplicity of holes formed therethrough to allow transfer of heat fromsaid heat shield into the area of the enclosure beneath said firstpartial cover.
 4. The device of claim 3 in which the external heatsource is a propane torch.
 5. The device of claim 3 in which said secondpartial cover includes flanges formed on edges thereof for positioningalongside said second end wall and said first sidewall.
 6. The device ofclaim 5 in which the external heat source is a propane torch.
 7. Thedevice of claim 5 in which said partial bottom has a flange formed oneach side edge thereof for positioning alongside said first and secondsidewalls when said partial bottom is moved into contact with said firstand second sidewalls.
 8. The device of claim 7 in which the externalheat source is a propane torch.
 9. The device of claim 7 in which areinforcing plate is attached to said wall where said opening into saidsecond space passes, and through which said opening also passes andthrough which heat will be provided from an external heat source. 10.The device of claim 9 in which the external heat source is a propanetorch.